District 7 Faces State Cutbacks State B Hotbed Forced To Deal With Fewer Tournament Berths

Mon., Feb. 22, 1999

By Chris Derrick chrisd@spokesman.com (509) 459-5515

Seven teams that placed at state last year have qualified for the District 7 B tournament.

Too bad that at least one of them won’t make it to state this time around.

This season’s District 7 tournament begins today for boys and Tuesday for girls at Spokane Falls Community College and Spokane Community College.

The tourney’s 1999 version will carry more of a sense of urgency because berths to state have been slashed from four to three for both boys and girls.

The situation is especially severe for the girls, as district qualifiers Ritzville, Wilbur-Creston, St. George’s and Sprague-Harrington all placed in the top six at last year’s State B.

So who gets left behind? Top-ranked St. George’s, which has won 20 consecutive games? Two-time defending state champion Ritzville, which has won 59 of its last 60 games? Two-time defending state runner-up Wilbur-Creston, the only team to defeat Ritzville in two years? Or Sprague-Harrington, which lost the Bi-County League tournament championship game to Ritzville by two points?

Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, the boys field includes Valley Christian, the defending district champion and state runner-up; Curlew, which has been ranked No. 1 most of the season until its first loss to Republic on Friday; and Odessa, a veteran team that placed fifth at state last year after giving the best game to ultimate champion Chief Leschi.

Tonight’s boys openers: Odessa (16-5) vs. Northwest Christian (16-7), 5 p.m., SFCC; Almira/Coulee-Hartline (16-7) vs. Republic (19-4), 6:45, SFCC; Liberty (14-8) vs. Curlew (22-1), 5, SCC; and Valley Christian (19-2) vs. Inchelium (12-10), 6:45, SCC.

Tuesday’s girls openers: Wilbur-Creston (19-4) vs. Northport (19-4), 5 p.m., SFCC; Ritzville (20-1) vs. Selkirk (16-8), 6:45, SFCC; Sprague-Harrington (17-5) vs. Republic (18-6), 5, SCC; and Valley Christian (13-10) vs. St. George’s (21-2), 6:45, SCC.

Two boys state-qualifying games are Wednesday night at SFCC, and two girls state-qualifying games are Thursday night at SFCC.

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District 7 Faces State Cutbacks State B Hotbed Forced To Deal With Fewer Tournament Berths

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